Tahlequah (J-35) and her baby. Photo credit: Ken Balcomb/Center for Whale Research

Tahlequah, the mother of the dead orca, pushes her baby's body through the water as the world watches with horror and empathy. I feel this mother’s pain.

Mourningmom, the mother of a child with serious mental illness, fights for her disabled daughter as the world watches with judgment and disinterest. I feel this mother’s pain.

Tahlequah's grief brings attention to her endangered orca pod. A young orca appears to be starving. Scientists are tracking her and trying to feed her.

Mourningmom's grief does not bring attention to our fractured mental health system. It isn't tracking ill sons and daughters to make sure they get help.

Tahlequah’s devotion concerns whale watchers and other whales, including her son. Her attempt to keep her daughter afloat, for 17 days and 1,000 miles, could take a toll. Family members share their fish with her.

Mourningmom's devotion concerns one or two. Her struggle — for years and years — is taking a toll on her mind, body, and spirit. Family members retreat — from fear or from not knowing what to do.

No one will force Tahlequah to give up her calf before she is ready. (She carried it for 17 months and the live baby swam by her side.) Her maternal bond is too strong.

Everyone will force Mourningmom to give up her child — to lifelong suffering, to homelessness, to prison, to death — but she'll never be ready. Her maternal bond is too strong.

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Hi! Thanks for stopping by.

My goal, with Blog 1: Your Stories, is to help bring our stories of serious mental illness — and how it impacts individuals, our loved ones and our families — into mainstream discourse.

My goal, with Blog 2: My Diary, is to tell my story and my son's story - my struggle, as a mom of an adult son with serious mental illness, to somehow align both joy and sadness in my life; and Pat's brave efforts to live with bipolar disorder. I didn't know, as I was writing my diary, that I was capturing the last year of his life.

I hope, with these two blogs, we'll see increased understanding and movement toward better mental illness care. Sooner than tomorrow...

Hope you're having a good day.

Dede

DISCLAIMER: I never was or ever will be a psychiatrist or psychologist. The mental illness comments and information I post on this website and on these blogs shouldn't be taken as advice or recommendations. People in need of mental health and mental illness assistance should see their mental health/mental illness providers.

P.S. Our stories can be heartbreaking. Once a week or so I try to include a HAPPY PIC to lighten our load. If you have a HAPPY PIC (original photo or artwork) to share, please send it to me. dede@soonerthantomorrow.com

P.P.S. The opinions expressed by other writers on this blog are their own. I respect them even when/if I don't agree with them. Their stories need to be told. And heard.